WorldPosted at: Sep 18 2026 8:48AM


Russia, China veto US-backed UN resolution to extend Iran sanctions monitoring

New York, Sep 18 (UNI) Russia and China vetoed a US-backed United Nations Security Council resolution seeking to extend the mandate of an independent panel of experts tasked with monitoring sanctions on Iran.
The resolution received 11 votes in favour, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained. The vetoes by the two permanent members blocked its adoption.
The vote came amid continuing disagreement over the legal status of UN sanctions against Iran, which were reimposed in September 2025 after Britain, France and Germany triggered the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The sanctions cover Iran’s nuclear and military programmes. Russia and China maintain that the sanctions expired in October 2025 with the expiry of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the nuclear deal, while the United States and European governments dispute that interpretation.
The expert panel had been authorised to monitor implementation of the sanctions and report suspected violations to the Security Council.
However, the experts were never appointed because member states failed to reach agreement on the composition of the panel.
US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Jennifer Locetta said the veto would create a gap in independent monitoring. “Without an independent panel of experts, this council loses its principal source of impartial, evidence-based reporting on sanctions violations,” Locetta told the Security Council after the vote.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia defended Moscow’s position, saying Russia opposed what it viewed as efforts to politicise the Council’s handling of the Iran issue. “We strongly urge western colleagues to stop their very dangerous actions on the Iran front, which threaten further complication of settling the crisis in the Persian Gulf,” Nebenzia said.
Iran welcomed the vetoes, with its UN mission thanking Russia and China for what it called their “consistent and principled positions”.
The vote does not resolve the broader dispute over whether the UN sanctions remain legally in force.
The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and as US President Donald Trump presses China over its economic relationship with Tehran. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in Washington on September 24, with the Iran conflict expected to be among the issues discussed.UNI AAB
Tags: #Russia# China veto US-backed UN resolution to extend Iran sanctions monitoring
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